From bruce@ashbysolutions.com Tue May 05 04:41:33 2009
Subject:Re: Leslie Spare Motors

Hi Lou,

I actually had a motor go on me, so it is possible to need a spare. To be fair, this motor had a bearing problem from poor maintenance when I bought the late-'60s Leslie in 1996. I oiled the motor well, and swapped it to the lower position, because it made far less noise when mounted upside-down. I oiled it regularly, and it lasted until it seized up in early 2009 -- not bad for a motor with bad bearings!

The supply of two-motor sets is starting to dwindle, so now might be a good time to pick up spares. The demand for Leslie motors on eBay varies a lot, so patience is a good thing. I bought new-condition (little or no rust) motors for as low as $50+shipping (fast-slow set), and as high as $90+shipping. I passed on several sets that sold for $140+ !! Be aware that many of the motors are pulls from a 10" or 12" internal Leslie, and the newer (late '70s) setups often had smaller motors. They will work fine for the upper motor, but are underpowered for the lower motor, especially if your rotor is wooden. Keep this in mind. The easiest way to tell a smaller motor is to look at the magnetic plates: a small motor will have about 1" of plates, while the larger one has about 1.5" of them.

Also be aware that an upper Chorale motor can be swapped for a lower one and vice versa with a new spring kit.

Regards,

-BW
--
Bruce Wahler
AshbySolutions.com™
978.386.7389 voice/fax
bruce@ashbysolutions.com

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]